William h



(No Model.)

W. H. WRIGHT.

MUSICAL GBOGK.

Patented Sept. 1, 1896..

THE nonms PETERS cc vv nuo'raumm wAsnmcnuN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. I/VRIGHT, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE E.INGRAI'IAM COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MUSICAL CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,956, datedSeptember 1, 1896. I Application filed February 2'7, 1893. Serial No.463,810. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I IVILLIAM II. WRIGHT, of Bristol, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inMusical Clocks; and I do here by declare the following, when taken inconnection with accompanying drawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, andrepresent, in

Figure 1, a view in front elevation of a clock-movement constructed inaccordance with my invention; Fig. 2,a side view thereof, looking towardthe music-train; Fig. 3, a broken rear view showing the music-train andthe mechanism by which the same is released and stopped.

a My invention relates to an improvement in musical clocks, the objectbeing to produce a simple and inexpensive clock not liable toderangement.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claim.

As herein shown, I employ a small musicbox of ordinary construction andcomprising a comb A, a drum B, a main driving-wheel C, havingface-teeth, and a fan D, the said wheel C meshing into a pinion E,mounted on the shaft B of the drum, and the said shaft also carrying awheel F, meshing into a pinion G, which drives the usual train of gearsconnected with the fan, which controls and regulates the speed of thedrum. The parts mentioned are mounted upon a bedplate A. (Shown in Figs.1 and 2.) The said bed-plate A is attached directly to the back-plate IIof a clock-movement of ordinary construction, as herein shown, except asmodified, as will be described, for the application of my improvement.This modification consists, in part, in providing it with what I shallterm a music-arbor I, the same being furnished with a lantern-pinion I,which is meshed into by the main wheel J of the music-train, which isdriven by a heavy volute spring K, the said train corre sponding verynearly to the ordinary striketrain of astriking-clock. The forward endof the music-arbor I projects through the said back plate H for theattachment of the main driving-wheel C, before mentioned, of themusic-box. The ratchet-wheel J, which is mounted on the main arbor K ofthe musictrain, has its teeth out in the opposite direction from theteeth of the corresponding wheel of an ordinary strike-train, andthereto the pawl L, which is carried by the wheel J, is reverselyarranged. By this construction the music-train is driven backward, so tospeak, or in the opposite direction from which an ordinary strike-trainis driven. I construct the music-train to be driven backward, so thatthe drum C of the music-box may be rotated in the usual direction. Thesaid music-train contains a playing-wheel M, corresponding to thecount-wheel of a strike-train and having its gains or notches anarranged with respect to each other with reference to the time requiredby the music-box to play its tunes. These gains are taken into by aplaying-wire N, forming a member of an ordinary lockwork mechanism,which need not be particularly described more than to say that itcontains a lift-arm O, the lower end of which is engaged by a rotatablearm P, mounted on the center arbor of the clock, the said arbor forminga member of the timetrain, which may be of any ordinary construction andis not therefore shown. The said lockwork mechanism is constructed towarn in the usual manner for strikingclocks.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the playing ofthe music-box takes the place of striking the hours, the music-trainbeing released on the hour for playing in the same manner that thestriketrain is released on the hour for striking. The music-box willtherefore play a tune every hour, or, for that matter, it might bearranged to play more than one tune, and, if desired, it might bearranged to play every half-hour or every quarter-hour.

I do not limit myself to the particular mode described of driving thedrum of the musicloox from the music-train, for obviously that may bevaried. If preferred, I might locate the music-box on the front of theclock-movement, but the construction shown will probably be moreconvenient in most cases.

By driving the drum by a train forming a part of the clock the music-boxmay be made to play without attention to the clock much longer than itcould be made to play if it had its own small driving-spring. Thus, aclock constructed in accordance with my invention, if an eight-dayclock, will play eight days. Furthermore, by organizing my music-boxwith the clock-movement I secure compactness and simplicity ofconstruction and reduce the liability of derangement to the minimum.

By means of my invention I am enabled to use an ordinary striking-clockmovement by modifying the strike-train Very slightly, as described,whereby it is caused to run backward. I can thus utilize practically thesame movement throughout for striking or musical clocks. By arranging anordinary striketrain to run backward, and thus converting it into what Icall a music-train, the drum of the box is driven in the right directionfor its application to the back plate of the movement. I also utilize,as it will be observed, the ordinary lockwork of an ordinary striketrainfor releasing and stopping the performance of the music-box mechanism,instead of the delicate mechanism usually organized with the m usic-boxfor that purpose. I therefore secure reliability of operation andfreedom from derangement by my construction. Furthermore, by means of amusic-wheel substantially corresponding to the count-wheel of astrike-train I am enabled to employ boxes which require varying lengthsof time for the performance of their tunes, the divisions of themusic-wheel being made with reference to the length of the tunes.

I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to theexact construc tion shown and described, but hold myself at liberty tomake such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit andscope of my invention.

I am aware, however, that it is not broadly new to connect a music-boxcontaining a comb and a drum with the time-movement of a clock, so thatit will be at predetermined times released for playing.

I am also aware that it is old to actuate a music-box mechanism directlyfrom one of the springs of a clock-movement, the ordinary driving-springof the music-box being dispensed with.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In a musical clock, the combination with the movement-plates thereof,the said plates being adapted to have a time-train mounted between them;of a 1nusictrain also mounted between the said movement-plates andincluding a musicavheel constructed with reference to the music to beplayed, a musicarbor mounted between the said plates and carrying apinion which is meshed into by the main wheel of the music-train, amusic-box bed-plate attached directly to one of the saidmovement-plates, a 1n usic-box drum and a music-box comb secured to thesaid bed-plate, driving connections interposed between the saidmusic-arbor and the said music-box drum, and starting and stoppingdevices organized independently of the said music-box bed-plate andmusic-box drum and comb and mounted between the said movement-plates foroperation by the timetrain, and constructed and adapted to release andstop the musictrain and hence the music-box drum, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM II. IVRIGIIT. lVitnesses:

J OHN J'. JENNINGS, ROGER S. NEwnLL.

